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Ever since the face-off between the ace Musician and anti-corruption activist, Charley Boy, with the governor of Imo State, Gov. Rochas Okorocha grew to an echelon dimension, it was never this messy until the actual burial day at the Oguta Home of Justice Chukwudifu Oputa of the famous “Oputa Panel” when Charly Boy Oputa metted out the worst humiliation to the governor of Imo State at the full glare of international media cameras. It was alleged that Charley had forcefully taken the MIC away from the governor thereby preventing him from speaking. It was such a monumental embarrassment to Imo State as a corporate entity and the man at the helm.
But to the majority of Imo people who has suffered heavily from the governor’s clueless leadership style and malgovernance, the said embarrassments was not enough to assuage their disappointments with the government.
This is the feeling of so many Imolites about the governor that if given the same opportunity, they could do worse.
Some people out of sympathy to the disgraced governor has been all over the place, condemning Charley Boy for his decision of not allowing the governor to speak at the burial ceremony of the late celebrated jurist, on the contrary, I beg to differ with so many reasons, there has been reports that the governor in his usual lawless manner, had disregarded the led down protocols and procedures.
I believe there is a limit to when, where and the level a people could be pushed on the face of irresistible provocation without reacting; their reactions could be dangerous to bear and difficult to manage. What Charley Boy clearly did was nothing else but a true depictions and feelings of the greater majority of Imo people, on the face of constant Tyranny, deceits, lies, impunity, massive corruption, reckless financial mismanagement and executive insincerity as administered by the Fiefdom Governor Rochas Okorocha, nothing could have been more soothing than rare and national show of frustration and disappointment.
Instead to condemn Charley Boy, he should be commended for summoning up the courage to show his frustrations on the governor, he should be celebrated for owning up to the reality on ground, instead to spit on Charley Boy, he should be eulogized for his strength to resist deceits and lies on the face of threatening pressure to abscond the truths.
Justice Oputa has been described by countless number of people, as a man of justice and equity and rule of law. His burial ceremony has proved it in the affirmation that he was a man of justice. It is Justice Oputa’s defiance to Tyranny that emboldened Charley Boy to utter the first nationally visible anti-bad-governance protest against Imo State government led by governor Rochas Okorocha.
Like the Okonkwo’s defiance to the colonial invasion in the classic of all times of Prof. Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”, Obierika summoned up the courage to chant the first anti-colonial protest speech. Likewise Charley Boy, he was moved by the spirit of the acclaimed incorruptible judge to utter the anti-bad-governance chants when he prevented the governor from speaking at the all important national burial. Many people has erroneously read different meaning to the said acts but the true position of the act is a protest against impunity, rascalism, executive financial recklessness, corruption, abuse of power, due process and rule of law and executive deceits which governor Rochas Okorocha represents.
Charley Boy is an anti corruption activist and one wouldn’t have expected less from him. According to my mentor, Idol and role model, Prof.Chinua Achebe, one will always use his position to fight against our oppressors, evil and bad omen. Prof. Achebe rejected a national award conferred on him by the federal government not just because he derived pleasure or wealth from it, no, but he used his position to protest against the Bad Nigerian state and Charley Boy who has always written against bad governance and corruption would not have missed such a golden opportunity to vent his angers on the governor whose administration has been adjudged as one of the worst civilian administration in Imo State in recent times.
What Charley Boy’s action did was purely the direct depiction and representation of the general felling and impulse of the Imo people. If the majority of Imolites should have any of such opportunity, what they will do might be unheard of and unprintable as they are enraged by the anger of betrayal of trust from the governor.
Owelle Rochas Okorocha only got what he bargained for and Imo State as an entity also got their own fair share of the national disgrace and embarrassment for electing a failure, an incompetent, fraudulent, corrupt and a deceit as their governor.
Anybody in the shoes of Charley Boy would not have done less if he or she had an opportunity to showcase ones anger and frustration. Charley boy as an Oguta man has been the worst hit and benefited immensely on the Okorocha’s malgovernance, deceits, lying character and corruption.
With the political negligence of the Oguta clan in the state’s political environment, Oguta People has been badly affected, it is on record that till the time am writing this article, Oguta Has no member representing her at the state’s house of assembly, the LGA is in disarray with the federal government millions of naira flood victims intervention fund on the question hanging around the neck of the state governor, therefore to The greater number of people of Oguta nation, Charley Boy was superb, revolutionary and their hero because to an average Oguta man; the governor has been their worst enemy.
We must celebrate Charley Boy because it is very rare in this era of political opportunism and sycophancy to see people of upright integrity that will continue to stick to their avowed principles, I celebrate him and he has indeed gained another fan in the person of Ambrose Nwaogwugwu.
